Deuteronomy 2:26-3:29, Tired of Waiting?

Please open your Bible with me to Deuteronomy chapter our chapter 2 starting in verse 26. I'll be reading to the end of chapter 3. The Deuteronomy chapter 2 starting in verse 26. Hear the word of the Lord so I sent messengers from the wilderness of Ketamoth to see Han the king of Heshbon with words of peace saying let me pass through your land.

I will go only by the road. I will turn aside neither to the right nor to the left. You shall sell me food for money and that I may eat and give me water for money that I may drink only. Let me pass through on foot as the sons of Esau who live in seer and the Moabites who live in our did for Me until I go over the Jordan into the land that the Lord our God is giving to us.

But see Han the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him for the Lord Our Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate that he might give him into your hand as he is this day. And the Lord said to me behold I have begun to give see Han in his land over to you begin to take possession that you may occupy his land then see Han came out against us he and all his people to battle it J has and the Lord our God gave him over to us and we defeated him and his sons and all his people and we captured all his cities at that time and Devoted to destruction every city men women and children.

We left no survivors only the livestock. We took a spoil for ourselves with the plunder of the cities that we captured from our or which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon and from the city that is in the valley as far as Gilead there was not a city too high for us the Lord our God gave all into our hands only the land of the sons of Ammon, you did not draw near that is to all the banks of the river Jabbok.

The cities of the hill country, whatever the Lord our God had forbidden us. Then we turned and went up to the way of Bashan and all the king of Bashan came out against us. He and all his people to battle at a dry but the Lord said to me do not fear him for I have given him and all his people in his land into your hand and you shall do to him as you did to see Han the king of Amorites who lived at Heshbun.

So the Lord our God gave into our hand Ah, also the king of Bashan and all his people and we struck him down until he had no survivor left. And we took all his cities at that time. There was not a city that we did not take from them 60 cities the whole region of our gob the kingdom of Og in the In Bashin all these were cities fortified with high walls gates and bars besides very many unwalled Villages and we devoted them to destruction as we did to see Han the king of Heshbun devoting to destruction every city.

Went men women and children, but all the livestock the spoil of the cities we did. We took as our plunder so we took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan from The Valley of Arnon to Mount Hermon the Sidonians call Hermon Syrian.

Well, the Amorites call it senor all the cities of the table and in all Gilead and all Bajan as far as Salaka and Edry cities of the kingdom of Og and Bashan for only Og the king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Raphael.

Behold, his bed was a bed of iron. Is it not in Rabba of the Ammonites? Nine nine cubits was its length and four cubits its breath according to the common cubit. When we took possession of this land at that time I gave to the Rubenites and the Gadites and the territory the territory beginning at our or which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon and Half the hill country of Gilead with its cities the rest of Gilead and all Bashan the kingdom of Og.

That is all the region of our gob. I gave to the half tribe Manasseh all that portion of Bashan is called the land of Raphael Jair them Manasseh took the region of our gob that is Bashan as far as the border of the Gershwite Gershwite gesture rights, excuse me and the Makathites and called the villages after his own name.

How about Jair as it is to this day? Too much or I gave Gilead and to the Rubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead as far as the valley of the Arnon with the middle of the valley as the border as far as the River Jabbok the border of the Ammonites the Arabic also with the Jordan is the border and the chenaroth as far as the sea of the Arabic and this the salt sea under The slopes of Mount of Pisgah on the east and I commanded you at that time.

Saying the Lord your God has given you this land to possess all your men of valor shall possess shall cross Over arm before your brothers the people of Israel. You're only your wives your little ones and your livestock.

I know that you have much livestock have. Shall remain in the cities that I gave you until the Lord gives you rest. Gives rest to your brothers as to you and they also occupy the land that the Lord your God gives them beyond the Jordan.

Then each of the then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you. And I commanded Joshua at that time. Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. So will the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you are crossing.

You shall not fear them for it is the Lord your God who fights for you. And I pleaded with the Lord at that time saying oh Lord God. You have only begun to show your servant your greatness in your mighty hand.

For what God is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours. Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan the hill that hill that good hill country and Lebanon.

But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me and the Lord said to me Enough from you. Do not speak to me of this matter again. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward and look at.

Look at it with your eyes for you shall not go over this Jordan, but charge Joshua and encourage and strengthen him. For he shall go over at the head of this people and he shall put them in possession of the land that you shall see.

So he remained in the valley opposite. So we remained in the valley opposite beth pure. If the Lord had his blessings the reading of his holy word. Little thin today missing some.

The Hunger to Wait and the Sermon’s Theme of “Tired of Waiting?”

People.

Oh, well, hope they recover justin and them and joshua will be gone for the summer. Well, do you hate to wait? Now last week mother's day one of the worst days to try to go out to eat. Because because everyone is doing it.

We went out to outback steakhouse. And there were a lot of people lined up. I mean wait waiting in the lobby and the front porch and customers were being told. It would be a 45 minute to an hour wait and they just accepted it.

I guess because they had no choice. But we had made reservations ahead of time. So we had to wait a few minutes. But right behind us in line Was alan and his family and they must have made the reservations even earlier because they didn't have to wait at all.

I mean they went right from checking in and right to a table. What a triumph. No waiting. Um, then of course getting a table is only the first obstacle, you know to overcome to avoid waiting. You might have to wait a long time for your food to show up.

And so if you're like us like me, anyway, I think you like to have an appetizer. You know, maybe a blooming onion. I like that thing. And if they're doing their job, right the appetizer comes out right away.

I mean don't don't wait a long time. Appetizer comes right before the entree that makes no sense. And uh, and so. You know, that's what it's all about. So you don't have to wait to eat. You don't go to a restaurant to wait.

You go to a restaurant to eat. Do you hate to wait? Well, sometimes though you have to learn to wait. If you're single wait for the lord to send you the right spouse too bad brandon's not here he's gone to something.

Uh, you know, this is just for him. I don't know if we have else's who's single here. Okay, wait for wait for the right spouse if you get impatient. And you give up on waiting and you compromise. Uh, you might deeply regret it later on some businesses like some of these rent to own places.

Take advantage of people's hatred of waiting, you know. They put a old h ultra hd whatever tv and in their window with the big letters only 49 .99. Then a little letters a month. You can own it free and clear about 20 months.

Uh, they promise. And you have maybe maybe you have extra 50 dollars in your pocket. You just got paid and you want it so much but if you think about it, it adds up to a thousand dollars, which may be about twice as much as is is.

What you could get it for if you would wait. And you buy it you save up your money fifty dollars a month for ten months and you could buy your own. But of course that means you have to wait. But if you hate to wait.

Then you you know, you think you can rent to own it now. And you make your payments and then maybe after a year something happens. You have medical bills or whatever and you can't make the payment on the tv.

And they come back and get it. And you have nothing to show for all the money. That you you spent all because you hated to wait. Sometimes many times we need to learn to wait. Good things come to those who wait they say but still there's something in us.

That that wants at least some things now. Give me a down payment. Give me an appetizer. Give me something now. No more waiting before there's something wrong if we're always told to wait. Uh george orwell in his book animal farm not only scorned communism for its false rhetoric of equality.

All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. About its corruption the way the pigs who were in charge began living just like the humans. The aristocrats the rich had before. He also scorned Orwell also scorned religion.

Just like the communists had. The bird in his book symbolizes the church symbolizes the ministers was always singing about to the other animals about sugar candy mountain. If you're a good animal a good mule or ox or you know, whatever a good chicken.

You'll you'll be a good animal a good obedient. Beast of burden do whatever you're supposed to be doing on this farm when you die. You'll get to go to sugar candy mountain. Where you can indulge in treats all the time, but for now.

All you're going to get for your work is hay and water. That's it. But later. Be patient. Sugar candy mountain. You have to wait for all the rewards. So even though orwell was rejecting Marxism. He was agreeing with what marx had said about religion mostly christianity talking about that.

It was the opiate of the masses that it was just a way to numb people to the pain of their dreary hard lives. A way to get them to keep working hard. To keep the poor in their place keep the working people working day in and day out.

Without complaining without revolting. Taking their low pay and their long hours and the abuse that's handed out to them. Putting up with the corruption from the government and just do what you're told.

Deprive yourselves of pleasure for now because later. You know, there's heaven. And you'll get your reward later. You'll have to wait for your reward in the next life. It was really they both said both marx and orwell.

Religion for them both they thought Was a scam. It was a way to get most people now to obey the laws. To stay in line stay in your place be quiet and let the aristocrats. Or the robber barons or maybe now they would lately be called the one percent.

Let them get away with their self-indulgence while the rest of us suckers. Worked hard and and had to wait for our reward which they thought was never really coming anyway. The problem that was their criticism of christianity.

From both orwell and the communists the problem with that criticism.

Is.

Is that really what the bible teaches? Now sure some some birds. Some religions some churches. Might maybe it might be telling us to wait for sugar candy mountain. It's all in the future. But is that what the word of god says?

Certainly, we are promised great blessings to come. Eye has not seen or nor ear heard or any of us imagined what god has in store for those for those who love him first corinthians chapter 2 verse 9 says.

But that's not all the christian life is about. It's not all a promise for the future for the not yet. For an eternal life that begins when our body dies. There is a promise a promised land.

Now.

And we see that here in this passage in five parts. First. There's the purpose. Second, there's the prefigurement. Third, there's the portion. Fourth, there's the partnership and fifth. There's the preview.

Got them all to illiterate. These are great words great letters. Well first there's the purpose israel has um. Has already been called at the end of our passes last week. Now this passage we picked up sort of in the middle.

Moses has been in the middle of this long speech and just at the end of last week. Remember that he had told israel that they that the lord is telling them to rise up now and contend in battle with sihan.

Uh, they weren't supposed to contend with remember with with edom. Or with moab or with the ammonites because the lord is the lord without borders. Had given them those nations. Their borders you remember that he had given Them their right to their land and israel did not have the right to take it.

Now though they've come to the border of another kingdom called heshbon with their king who is named sihan and They are given permission given the green light from the lord to take their land. Begin to take possession in verse 24 by taking possession of the land of sihan.

They were beginning to take possession of the promised land. And this is the surprising part of this passage. You know up until now if you're reading the bible through for the first time. Up, well actually up until numbers, but but if if uh here deuteronomy is recalling back what happened in the book of numbers.

But up until now in their history you would think that the promised land is all west of the jordan river. That that's where it begins. It's between the jordan river and the mediterranean sea that they won't begin to get that promised land until they cross the jordan river.

You would just assume that up until now that that's everything that's been said about the promised land has led you to that but now. They're on the border of this other kingdom called heshbon. The last of that unbelieving generation has passed away.

The old israel that's not of israel has finally died off. And they're crossing now. Into the promised land. It's not all not yet across the jordan. It's now. And that's what moses has said at the very end of our passes last week up until verse 24.

In chapter 2, but moses is a funny thing now. We begin our passes today starting in verse 26 He sends messengers remember. Okay. The lord has told them this this land this kingdom heshbon. This belongs to you rise up and take it and yet in verse 26 moses sends and messengers ambassadors to sean and you notice there verse 26 with words of peace.

Otherwise just no he. We don't mean to attack you we don't mean to be your enemy. He makes the same offer to see han king of heshbon that he did with the edomites. It will pass peacefully through your territory on land on the road.

We'll go we'll stay on your roads.

We're not going to trample on your lawns.

We'll pay for everything we take. Just let us pass through and come and cross the jordan river because our promised land Is over there across the jordan. What's the purpose of that. Remember he's been told by the lord this land this kingdom of heshbon rise up take it.

And yet he sends ambassadors to them saying let's make peace. Just let us pass through.

Why.

The lord's already said that that there that this land see han's land is now theirs rise up and take it. It's the beginning of taking. Possessing all the promised land. Why offer him a way out? What if he takes it, you know, what if he had said okay, we'll let you through.

Come on in. Of course there are no what ifs with god. The purpose I think is to show the justice of god, even if god offers peace.

To sinners.

They resist. You know the pictures of sinners being painted today even by some christians by seeker sensitive churches. Is that they naturally love or at least they like? A god. It's it's just religion.

They don't like that's what we're told constantly these days. They love god. They just hate your religion. Declare to them that god wants peace. And they'll respond with peace. And that's what people think.

It's not that they're hostile to god. No, we're told not they're hostile to god. They're just hostile to Suits and ties and hymns and offerings and long boring doctrinal sermons. That's what they don't like.

And so if you can strip away all that stuff about the church that they don't like. Tell them god wants peace. They'll come flocking. But they don't. The reality is that they are hostile to god. In fact, you can make a religion that they like they might like your religion.

But unless god does a miracle. You can't get them to like god.

Sinners.

Hate god. So they deserve god's punishment. That's what you see here with sihan. Sihan was offered peace. The people of god promised them that they wouldn't touch them. They'd pay for everything If sihan's country would just let them pass through.

That's actually all you got to do on their way to god's promises. But sihan in verse 30 Would not let us pass by him. It says they resisted. Stephen talked to the israelites. You always resist the holy spirit.

And paul says the corinthians, you know, the natural man. That's the unsaved person. Resist. He cannot accept the things of god. Here's sihan.

Resisted.

What was the purpose of that from sihan's point of view? I think that's probably easy. See i almost certainly would have said well, he didn't trust these israelites. You'll let them in your border. They're really invading once you once they cross into our border.

They're in our land. You know, it's easy for them to take over. Then we need to resist them right at the border. Remember people almost always have good sounding excuses for their sins. That sounds like good national defense, doesn't it?

They'd say well we got to protect our borders. It's a matter of national security. They were saying to themselves. That's what people say. People always have good sounding excuses for their sins. I have needs that need to be met.

I need to get the business established and enough savings before I can serve god. Family comes first. Good sounding excuses here though. They they the truth is they just didn't trust israel. Sinners don't trust god.

He's trying to take pleasure from me. We think he's trying to keep me. From becoming like him from getting what I want. From having my best life now. Uh sean probably had a council with his meeting with his elders, you know of his nation and they all agreed.

This was intolerable. They would fight. They had their purposes. What was the purpose? Of their purposes. In the second half of verse 30 verse 30 is key. Look at that verse 30. For they wouldn't let us pass by because.

Not ultimately because of any of the reasons they thought was their purpose they had their excuses. But what was the purpose of their excuses? But because Moses says the lord your god talking to israel hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate.

The lord determined that what cijan decided. Oh cijan did it freely. I mean according to his nature. As a resistor of the holy spirit again. That's what paul said. The natural man does not accept the things of god.

Cijan a natural man would not accept the things of god. He's an enemy of god. He did what came naturally to him, but the lord was ultimately behind it ensuring that he would say no to israel's offer. What's the purpose of that.

Christians today often think god is only in the business of softening hearts and drawing people to himself. He's trying His best people think today he's desperately to to woo people with soft words of sweetness and comfort.

It's true that the lord jesus said that the holy spirit is at work convicting the world of sin. And righteousness and judgment that is making people aware of their sin. Of god's right standards that they've fallen short of of the judgment that we will all face.

But unless he accompanies that convicting work with gifts of repentance He gives an invitation I'm at peace. Just let me pass through. But unless he accompanies that by changing our hearts with the grace to believe and to change.

We will reject the conviction. We'll become seared in our in our conscience and so we become hard-hearted. God's commands without his grace produce hard-heartedness. Because because of us because the way we are because without his grace we will not respond.

To them. We will not say yes to god's offer. We will not unless he changes us. I've seen people who appear convicted of their sin. I think i'm utterly convinced. I think they in their mind. They've been convinced that they have sinned that they know they've written sin.

Maybe they've seen example that they've seen that they've been robbing god and they're giving that they've been stingy and they're giving well. While they've been indulgent with themselves and they that they they know that their excuses have been turned apart by the word of god.

They know now that they have not been showing the generosity that the father showed him giving us the son. That they haven't been transformed by christ who for our sakes became poor so that we might become rich.

That they haven't been showing that their treasure is in heaven. They're convicted. They're cut to the heart. And yet they don't repent. They don't change. And the cut to the heart. Like cuts on your skin.

It's covered over with a thick scar tissue becomes hard.

And numb.

So much so that after a while They can hardly feel anything Totally unaware of their sins anymore. Here the lord hardened sean spirit gave him an obstinate heart so that he would stubbornly not listen to the offers of peace.

But he would go to war. What's the purpose of that? Oh sean thought it was to protect his country. But the lord had another purpose for it. At the end of verse 30 the lord made his heart obstinate that in order that this is The purpose the lord that he the lord might give him sean into your hand israel.

The lord's purpose behind it all was to give sean and all his land to israel. Because this was the beginning of the promised land. So why does the lord harden hearts? Pharaohs remember his.

Sean's.

The pharisees who in jesus's day could not believe it says could not believe. Because the lord had hardened their hearts in john chapter 12 verse 39. And 40. People today Who hear the message who are cut to the heart?

But instead of becoming soft tenderhearted and believing become calloused and hard.

Why.

What's the lord's purpose for it? Well, yes to glorify himself as he says in romans chapter 9 verse 17 about pharaoh for this very purpose I have raised you up pharaoh. This is why you exist pharaoh. That I might show my power in you.

And that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

But notice.

That he is unless you just think well just god is just glorifying himself even at the expense of the of the destruction of all kinds of people. But notice he has chosen to glorify himself not just in destruction.

But in salvation, I mean how was god glorified in pharaoh. Not just in israel being just not just in egypt. That is being destroyed. But in israel being saved. How is god glorified here? Not just in sihan being destroyed.

But in israel getting the promised land. How is god glorified in the pharaohs and the pharisees hearts being hardened not just in jesus being destroyed but in our salvation being provided for. The lord hardened pharaoh's heart to save israel.

Here's sean's heart is obstinate to give israel the beginning of the promised land. The purpose in glorifying himself god's purpose is Is in glorifying himself through? Saving his people. And that's what he does.

The lord tells moses that he has begun to to give sihan and his land. He's begun to give sihan his land to israel and then he tells them begin To take possession. In other words begin now no more waiting.

They can start taking the promised land now even before they cross the jordan. Sian comes out with his army against him in verse 32 and in verse 33. The lord our god gave him over to us in verse 34. They devoted to destruction their cities and that's a particular key.

Word in hebrew devoted to destruction a little odd to us, but it means it's this is holy war. This is this is for the lord. The things this fighting is is not just for their own advancement. It's for god.

Everything was devoted to the lord except some of the livestock and some of the plunder. This was holy war at least in part and this is what they were supposed to practice. When they were taking the promised land.

Because now they are taking the promised land. In verse 36. There is not a city too high for us the lord. Our god gave all of it into our hand. And that's key remember before they were they were intimidated.

They were frightened from trying to go into the promised land a generation before because they thought the walls were too high. They were too well fortified. And now here they see well, these walls were fortified too.

These cities were formidable. But not not anything could resist us. The lord was glorified in his people getting his promises now. Not all of it is not yet. There's the purpose. Then there's the prefigurement then the next kingdom basian prefigures.

The taking of the promised land in chapter 3 they run away they turn away from the ammonites. Because they are out of bounds. Remember. They're forbidden. But they turn toward due north basian. The king of basian was this colossal kind of monstrous man named og.

Now if your name's og you probably better be a big tough guy. All right, you don't want to be a wimpy guy and be named on so it's not going to work. Uh, he'll be just like the giants that they are facing in the promised land.

Remember that remember they were again. They were frightened not only by the high walls, but there's giants in that promised land. There's no way we can take it. They thought Uh, the the titans there that frightened them all the majority of spies didn't think they had a chance and aug is like that Og himself was a descendant of the raphael.

Mentioned that last week these giants that moses mentioned. He was so huge in verse 11. That his bed had to be made of iron to hold his weight. Even mentions where it was. At his time when moses speaks like somebody was keeping it as a tourist attraction somewhere.

Um, even after og was gone, but it'd be made of iron and it was 13 and a half feet by six feet. So that's a big bed.

Uh.

Apparently they didn't measure him exactly but he measured his bed after he was gone. And so if you figure his bed is made made big enough so you can comfortably stretch out on he's got to be about 13 feet tall.

Okay, that's he's a big he's a big guy. He and he prefigures What's coming? And og leads out his army against israel. The lord tells moses in verse 2 do not fear him. This 13 foot tall guy for I have given him and all his people into your Into and his people and his land into your hand.

And so it was Just like with sihan before in his army. So the lord our god gave into our hand all gulso didn't give any details of the battle just just like that. They overcame him. This this 13 foot tall guy and all his uh, his army.

Even though their cities were fortified with high walls and and bars and gates just like the promised land. Remember the unbelieving spies thought it was too well fortified. We can't take it. Well, the lord gave it to them.

Anyway, there's two giants there the lord here Prefigures they're taking the giants to come by overcoming this this odd guy and just like before. There's this is holy war. Devoted things devoted to destruction just like that's what they're supposed to do in the conquest of the promised land.

They are taking What god has promised to them? So this wasn't a war for selfish expansion or just plunder. It was for the lord and so everything was devoted to the lord with some exceptions the result was That now they've taken two kingdoms of the amorites east of the jordan river.

And that's why the lord took them around this way. Uh to the promised land to the east all the way around to the east of the dead sea. All that instead of coming up from the south, which looks like the natural way now, they were going to find themselves Already In the promised land.

It'd be total surprise. They thought it was across the jordan. And yet now they're told hey, we got these kingdoms attacked us. We had to defend ourselves. We took their territory and now the lord tells them you're in it.

This is the promised land. Before you expected it Unexpectedly, they find themselves in the promised land now already. It's not sugar candy mountain sometime after they cross the promised land whenever that will be every time they cross the jordan.

You know, that's when i've been talking about it for a whole life whole all our lives is all the whole generation past this Jordan, we're going to cross this promised land. It's always not yet. But now no now it's here.

The land they possess from seehan and og land that they first only wanted to pass through. On their way to the promised land now becomes part of the promised land. They are now already. Not just on the way to the promised land.

They're there. The lord's exceedingly great and precious promises forgiveness life and joy Reconciliation righteousness and peace a new heaven and a new earth a river of life and love. Living in the shining presence of god.

Are.

The promised land. And the journey will sometimes seem too long. And too hard and get tired and impatient and maybe tempted to be resentful and maybe wonder maybe it's all being big scam. Always, you know, we're always working and it's always tomorrow.

It's always in the future and it's never now we might get tired of waiting. We think for now it's always.

Always.

Not yet. But if we have the gift of repentance. The grace that enables us to admit I have sinned. To believe so strongly now. That we're willing to give up things now for the hope of blessings. Not yet.

If we have that. Then unexpectedly You wake up and find. Now already at least in part You are in the promised land. Well next is the portion in verses 12 to 17. Moses distributes this portion of the promised land to the two and a half tribes of ruben and gad and manasseh and this is one of those Parts of the old testament.

People read and their eyes glaze over all these names. You don't know where in the world they are and somebody gets that and that who cares. And you wonder, you know, what's on tv? In numbers where we were last summer it mentions how these tribes wanted this land.

Asked they asked moses for this land. They requested it and at first You would you would expect uh them to be rebuked for wanting to settle down.

Now.

You expect them to be scolded. No, this is an ed. It's over there. It's not yet. But That's not what happens. They aren't rebuked. There's nothing wrong With israel getting some of the promised land.

Now.

There's nothing wrong with us. Getting some of god's exceedingly great and precious promises. Eternal life and righteousness and peace and joy in the holy spirit overcoming some sins to getting that.

Now.

Here moses didn't even mention that that those three tribes asked for the land. You notice that he didn't mention that here. Back in numbers. That's a big thing. They first asked for it and moses goes into this long lecture about hey, you know.

Don't be like the previous generation that wouldn't fight for the land and uh, and they say no we'll go and fight. But here moses speaks of himself giving the land under god's guidance of him portioning out this land of what?

Just now we've learned. Is the promised land already? How he portions it out to these Three tribes two and a half actually. And this is one of those things that skeptics of the bible I guess could point to and say look it's a contradiction.